Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Anthony McGrath will be hoping Jack White gets in and amongst the wickets again this week to help Yorkshire secure their Division One future.
If things go well for Yorkshire this week against Durham at Headingley and Division One survival is secured, Anthony McGrath is hoping that coming through a high-pressure situation will set his players up for bigger and better challenges ahead.
Head coach McGrath arrived at Headingley last November and made no secret of his desire to challenge for silverware as soon as possible.
The county went deep in this summer’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup, reaching the semi-finals, but they haven’t been able to mix it at the top end of the Rothesay County Championship alongside leaders Nottinghamshire and reigning champions Surrey.
Fingers crossed, that comes next season.
First things first, though, and there is a significant assignment to deal with.
Picture by Harry Trump/Getty Images. Captain Jonny Bairstow will lead Yorkshire into battle against Durham at Headingley this week.
Yorkshire head into tomorrow’s final round, starting tomorrow – 10.30am, needing 10 more points for survival.
McGrath’s White Rose are seventh in Division One on 146 points.
And a 10-point haul would make it impossible for ninth-placed Durham – second from bottom in the table on 140 points – to overhaul them.
Hampshire are sandwiched in between on 142. They host second-placed Surrey at the Utilita Bowl, the visitors needing a win to have any chance of retaining their title.
McGrath has seen his side play out two weather-affected draws away from home at Somerset and Sussex in the last fortnight, and he said: “I don’t think it’s been our best two weeks. But we’ve still showed good grit and determination to get the points we have.
“The challenge to the boys now is to make sure we put in one of our best performances of the season. If we do, I think that’ll be enough.”
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com. Adam Lyth is Yorkshire’s leading Championship run-scorer this season with 1,104. That’s the third best haul in Division One.
McGrath continued: “Look, we want to be further up in the division and playing under pressure to win trophies.
“We had a chance in the 50-overs and couldn’t get there.
“But, if we want to be a better team, you’re going to have to play in moments where it’s tough and you’re under pressure.
“At Hove, at some point you’re under pressure there (on the last day). At Taunton, we weren’t at our best. But we reacted well and got out of there (with a draw).
“It’s about playing the situations and finding a solution to come out. I think, as the season’s gone on, we’ve not had a bad hour and then crumbled. We’ve found ways to come back, and I think that’s a really good sign.”
All-rounder Dom Bess echoed McGrath’s thoughts about the pressure of this week’s situation being a good thing for the development of this group of players.
Picture by Harry Trump/Getty Images. George Hill, Yorkshire’s leading wicket-taker with 45, will this week aim to reach 50 Championship wickets in a season for the first time in his career. Only three bowlers have taken more wickets than him in Division One in 2025.
And he says playing in these kinds of situations is “exciting” even if it isn’t the prize they were aiming for at the start of April.
“If you’re not challenging for the title, you’re usually having to make sure that you’re safe,” he said. “It’s exciting.
“I think it’s a lot better than Division Two. Once you’re out of the promotion race, it’s – with all due respect – pretty average cricket.
“You’d rather be in these situations. I think it means more, and you understand how tough Division One cricket is. It produces good cricket, it produces pressure moments that you’d like to think you can get yourself either out of or absorb.”
Yorkshire will know all too well that gaining those 10 points won’t be a straightforwards task against a Durham side who started the season with two defeats but recovered before sliding again with two more defeats in late July.
Yorkshire have won three matches this season to Durham’s two, so they have the advantage in terms of the first tiebreaker should teams finish level on points.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com All-rounder Dom Bess is excited by the challenge which faces Yorkshire this week.
These two sides drew at the Banks Homes Riverside in the third match of the season in April.
Captained by former Yorkshire Championship-winning opener Alex Lees, they will have two overseas players available to them this week in South African Test batter David Bedingham and Afghanistan leg-spinner Shafiqullah Ghafari.
The latter has starred for reigning Yorkshire Premier League champions Richmondshire in recent seasons.
Opening batter Emilio Gay – in his first full season at Durham following a move from Northamptonshire – is their leading Championship run-scorer in 2025 with 941.
Experienced seamer Ben Raine leads the way with 39 wickets.
Durham are expected to field Ashes fast-bowling contender Matthew Potts.
Picture by Alex Pantling/Getty Images. Matthew Potts is hoping to save Durham from relegation and then play a part in England’s winter Ashes campaign.
YORKSHIRE v DURHAM, FIRST-CLASS CRICKET 1992-August 31 2025 – STAT PACK
Results (home and away): County Championship: Played 39; Yorkshire won 16, Durham won 9, Drawn 14.
Bob Willis Trophy (2020): Played 1; Yorkshire won 1.
At Headingley: Played 12; Yorkshire won 3, Durham won 3, Drawn 6.
Most recent results: 2025 at Chester-le-Street, match drawn. 2023 at Scarborough, match drawn. Most recent Durham win 2023 at Chester-le-Street by one wicket. Most recent Yorkshire win 2020 at Chester-le-Street by six wickets (Bob Willis Trophy).
Most consecutive wins: Yorkshire 7 (1994-2000); Durham 3 (2007-2008).
Two wins in a season: Yorkshire once (2015); Durham twice (2003 and 2008).
Highest innings totals: For Yorkshire, 677-7dec at Headingley in 2006. For Durham, 573 at Scarborough in 2013.
Lowest inning totals: For Yorkshire, 93 at Headingley in 2003. For Durham, 74 at Chester-le-Street in 1998.
Highest individual score: For Yorkshire, 339 by DS Lehmann at Headingley in 2006. This is the second highest individual score ever for Yorkshire and the highest ever at Headingley. For Durham, 221* by KK Jennings at Chester-le-Street in 2016.
Highest partnerships: For Yorkshire, 366* for the seventh wicket between JM Bairstow (219*) and TT Bresnan (169*) at Chester-le-Street in 2015. For Durham, 315 for the seventh wicket between DM Benkenstein (151) and OD Gibson (155) at Headingley in 2006.
Note. Each of these partnerships is the county’s record for its seventh wicket in all first-class cricket.
Best bowling figures (innings): For Yorkshire, 6-37 by RD Stemp at Durham (Racecourse Ground) in 1994 and by JN Gillespie at Chester-le-Street in 2006. For Durham, 7-58 by J Wood at Headingley in 1999.
Best bowling figures (match): For Yorkshire, 10-101 (6-57 and 4-44) by MA Robinson at Durham (Racecourse Ground) in 1992. For Durham, 10-144 (7-81 and 3-63) by OD Gibson at Chester-le-Street in 2007.
Hat-Tricks: No instances by either county in this fixture.
Most dismissals in an innings by a wicketkeeper: 7 (all caught) CW Scott for Durham at Chester-le-Street in 1996. 6 (all caught) GL Brophy for Yorkshire at Chester-le-Street in 2009.
Most dismissals in a match by a wicketkeeper: For Durham, CW Scott 10 (all caught) at Chester-le-Street in 1996 (this is the joint-highest for any opponent against Yorkshire). For Yorkshire, RJ Blakey 7 (6 caught, 1 stumping) at Chester-le-Street in 2000 and 7 (6 caught, 1 stumping) at Headingley in 2003, I Dawood 7 (6 caught, 1 stumping) at Scarborough in 2004, SM Guy 7 (all caught) at Chester-le-Street in 2007.
Most catches by in an innings by a fielder: No instance of 5 or more.
Most catches in a match by a fielder: No instance of 6 or more
A hundred runs and 10 wickets in a match: GR Breese (Durham) 35 and 68, 5-41 and 5-110 at Scarborough in 2004. No instance for Yorkshire.
A century and five wickets in an innings, in a match: P Bainbridge (Durham) 36 and 103*, 5-53 and 4-65 at Headingley in 1993. No instance for Yorkshire.
At Headingley…
Highest innings totals: Yorkshire 677-7dec in 2006, Durham 518 in 2006.
Lowest innings totals: Yorkshire 93 in 2003, Durham 114 in 1999.
Highest individual score: For Yorkshire, 339 by DS Lehmann in 2006 (see note above). For Durham, 155 by OD Gibson in 2006.
Best bowling figures (innings): For Yorkshire, 5-32 by MJ Hoggard in 2007. For Durham, 7-58 by J Wood in 1999.
Best bowling figures (match): For Yorkshire, 7-120 (3-80 and 4-40) by CEW Silverwood in 2003. For Durham, 9-118 (5-53 and 4-65) by P Bainbridge 1993.
Compiled by Paul Dyson, Peter Horne and Martyn Webster – members of the Association of Cricket Statisticians & Historians.
